James Barclay - Beyond the Mists of Katura

The mage held up his hands.

‘I suppose it was powerful enough to evade our patrols,’ he conceded.

‘That has more to do with being quiet than being powerful,’ said Takaar. ‘Your guards spend too much time looking in and not out. Please, let’s not start with suspicion. I am here to help.’

The mage’s smile was thin. Takaar had hoped to be offered a place at the campfire but no move was made.

He doesn’t like you. He doesn’t believe you.

‘He doesn’t know me,’ muttered Takaar.

‘I’m sorry. I didn’t hear that,’ said the mage.

Not knowing you is normally when they like you best, isn’t it?

‘Nothing,’ said Takaar, once again talking in Balaian. ‘Thinking out loud.’

Another mage wandered from the group a few yards back. Takaar noticed the masked men begin to fan out, Gilderon noted it too and his Senserii responded.

‘I presume you left Julatsa before the siege was laid,’ said the newcomer in decent elvish.

‘No,’ said Takaar.

‘Yes,’ said Gilderon simultaneously.

‘Well it can hardly be both,’ said the newcomer.

Takaar glared at Gilderon, who met his gaze squarely.

‘Your naivety will get you killed one day,’ said the Senserii.

‘Your role is to fight not to speak,’ said Takaar.

‘It is to defend you,’ corrected Gilderon. ‘Which is what I do with my every breath.’

The mage had rocked back on his heels and folded his arms.

‘Whenever you’re ready, perhaps you could answer my question,’ he said. ‘I’ll be blunt. This is a difficult situation. This site is barred to any but Xeteskian researchers and security. We need to know more about you so we can decide what to do with you.’

Oops.

Takaar gestured Gilderon back with a wave of his hand.

His tormentor noted the tightening of the skin around the Senserii’s eyes.

Such conflict in such a faithful servant. Drech was faithful too, wasn’t he?

Takaar spread his hands. ‘I apologise for our interruption. We are not Julatsan though we have come from the college. Our TaiGethen forged us a path through the siege and no doubt by now have broken it completely, allowing Julatsan forces to join those of Xetesk and the other colleges in the fight to defeat the Wytch Lords.’

The mage swore and clicked his fingers. Another, clearly junior, mage ran up.

‘Get word to Bynaar. Julatsan forces will be heading south along the Blackthornes towards Understone Pass. And tell him we need greater strength here as a matter of extreme urgency.’ He turned to Takaar. ‘Just when exactly do you think the siege would have been broken?’

‘Well now, let me see,’ said Takaar, scratching his head and ignoring the hissed warning from Gilderon. ‘We travelled here in five days, running up to fifty miles a day. Auum would be leading more raids on the enemy the day after we left so let’s say it’s three days since the siege was broken. You probably had a few spies in place.’

The pair of mages in front of Takaar stared at him with poorly disguised dislike.

‘I thought we had,’ one of them muttered.

‘Enough, Koryl.’ He turned a cynical sneer on Takaar. ‘You expect us to believe you ran fifty miles a day? Or indeed anything you have told me so far?’

Takaar shrugged. He was starting to feel uncomfortable and the itch was growing in his forearms again. The mage’s words were making echoing sounds in his head and he could hear them all laughing. He wasn’t sure what to say in response.

‘Yes,’ he said. ‘Why not?’

‘It doesn’t matter, not really. What matters is that you are allied with Julatsa.’

‘We are all allies here,’ said Takaar.

Not even you can still believe that.

‘In the search for Dawnthief there can be no alliances. But I thank you for your information. You really should have listened to your masked friend.’

‘You’re dismissing us?’ Takaar was getting confused. ‘I’m Takaar. We have to work together.’

The mage shook his head and began to back away with Koryl. ‘I know who you are. No, we don’t have to work together and no, I am not dismissing you. I’m killing you. Protectors, now!’

Gilderon moved and the Senserii moved with him. Each knew his place in the circle enclosing Takaar. The mages melted back, some of them preparing castings. The Protectors ran forward, each one hefting his weapons easily. They outnumbered the Senserii two to one.

Gilderon twirled his staff, adding to the whistling sound of his brothers’ staffs, the blades at either end glittering in the firelight.

‘Takaar, please, a barrier.’

‘Why would they attack us? We came to warn them!’

‘Takaar,’ insisted Gilderon. ‘Focus.’

The Protectors surged in, each man working seamlessly with those to either side.

‘Defend and assess!’ called Gilderon.

An axe swept in head high. Gilderon’s ikari deflected the heavy blow, his body adapting to the impact. A sword thrust to the stomach followed it. Gilderon moved his staff fast in front of him, knocking it past his left flank. The Protector did not stumble. A third blow came from another Protector. Gilderon ducked, then jumped high to avoid the follow-up.

There was no pause. Gilderon found himself assailed by three. His ikari blocked, turned and caught blows. No time to look at any but his flanking brothers, who were coping though the onslaught was heavy and relentless. These men would not tire quickly.

‘Takaar!’ he shouted, snapping his staff left across his face and then right across his torso, clearing two blows. ‘A barrier.’

‘They can’t cast,’ said Takaar vaguely. ‘They have nothing left. We need to talk, not fight. I’ll speak to them.’

‘Stand fast,’ said Gilderon. He caught a massive double overhead strike on his staff, holding it at arm’s length in front of his face. ‘Cast. If you want to live, cast.’

‘Of course I want to live. I have never contemplated death.’

Gilderon ignored him. ‘Senserii, engage to kill. Put them down.’

Gilderon ducked a swinging axe, levelled his staff and jabbed it forward, catching a protector in the midriff. He moved a pace back to free the blade. Blows came in from left and right. Gilderon rolled, his staff horizontal across his body. The blows struck the ground behind him.

The injured Protector loomed above him. Gilderon switched his staff to the vertical, jabbed a blade into the ground and swung round it, thumping his feet hard into the Protector’s chest. The man fell back. Gilderon followed him, plucking his staff clear of the ground and whipping the bloodied blade into the Protector’s right eye slit.

The Protector collapsed back, making no sound. Gilderon dragged the blade clear, spun on his heels and fended away blows to both flanks. He struck out left, feeling the blade skewer muscle and hearing a grunt from his target. He struck right, low and fast, the blade slicing into the thigh of another.

In the moment’s pause he stepped back, reforming the circle. He spun again, his staff across his chest. Two Protectors came at him. One delivered a blow wide left without looking, deflecting another Senserii staff as it arrowed towards its target. The Protector’s other weapon came at him incredibly quickly. Gilderon fenced it away, feeling a whip of air pass his ear. He circled his staff above his head and brought it down two-handed towards the same Protector’s skull. The axe from the other knocked his blow aside.

They were good, very good.